"An Impossibility" William Robertson Smith IX
William Robertson Smith had, by his reckless behaviour, put himself in serious danger. Robert Rainy, the most important man of the Free Church wrote to James S. Candlish, one of Robertson Smith's closest friends, saying:
"[Smith] must show in some pretty distinct and emphatic way a disposition to be considerate, to weigh well the ground he is to occupy as an instructor, and to pay regard, though of course it cannot be an unlimited regard, to the impressions of his Brethren as to the tendency of his views and the dangers that may attract them." (Quoted by P. Carnegie Simpson, Vol. 1. P. 323)
This was a thinly veiled threat. In the 1877 Assembly Rainy had said: "We want to be proud of Professor Smith and to trust him." What was implied was that Rainy did neither. In fact, as the case wore on and Robertson Smith became more and more of an embarrassment, Robert Rainy decided that the only way to preserve critical liberty in the Free Church of Scotland was to remove Robertson Smith from his post for reasons other than heresy. "If we sacrifice the man they must sacrifice the libel," he observed. No libel meant no heresy case, and without a heresy case the conservatives could not get the Higher Criticism condemned by the Assembly. So Rainy arranged a deal with Sir Henry Moncrieff, a leading member of the conservative wing of the Assembly. A motion would be put before the Assembly that would remove Robertson Smith without condemning his views. To Rainy's dismay, when the motion was put before the Assembly of 1880 it lost by just seven votes because not all of the conservative ministers had voted! Instead a motion was passed that would give Robertson Smith little more than a slap on the wrist, retaining him in his chair and merely admonishing him for 'unwise conduct'. It seemed Rainy had miscalculated.
Robertson Smith came calmly to the moderator's chair to recieve his admonition. Speaking to the House afterwards, the professor said:
I have never been more sensible than on the present occasion of the blame that rests upon me for statements which have proved so incomplete that, even at the end of three years, the opinion of the house has been so divided upon them. I feel that, in the providence of God, this is a very weighty lesson to one so placed, as I am, in the position of a teacher, and I hope that by His grace I shall not fail to learn from it."
(Quoted In Black and Chrystal, William Robertson Smith P. 360)
There were cheers of approval, and even a victory party thrown for Robertson Smith. He had been right and Rainy had been wrong! It seemed that the power of Robert Rainy had been broken. The Free Church was on the side of the Higher Critics, and Rainy's caution had only hurt him.
But, if Robert Rainy could not destroy William Robertson Smith's career in the Free Church, Robertson Smith was his own worst enemy. His victory lasted exactly twenty-one days, for on the 8th of June the eleventh volume of the fateful Encyclopaedia Britannica appeared.
Why this was to spell the end for Robertson Smith we shall see, God willing, next time.
"[Smith] must show in some pretty distinct and emphatic way a disposition to be considerate, to weigh well the ground he is to occupy as an instructor, and to pay regard, though of course it cannot be an unlimited regard, to the impressions of his Brethren as to the tendency of his views and the dangers that may attract them." (Quoted by P. Carnegie Simpson, Vol. 1. P. 323)
This was a thinly veiled threat. In the 1877 Assembly Rainy had said: "We want to be proud of Professor Smith and to trust him." What was implied was that Rainy did neither. In fact, as the case wore on and Robertson Smith became more and more of an embarrassment, Robert Rainy decided that the only way to preserve critical liberty in the Free Church of Scotland was to remove Robertson Smith from his post for reasons other than heresy. "If we sacrifice the man they must sacrifice the libel," he observed. No libel meant no heresy case, and without a heresy case the conservatives could not get the Higher Criticism condemned by the Assembly. So Rainy arranged a deal with Sir Henry Moncrieff, a leading member of the conservative wing of the Assembly. A motion would be put before the Assembly that would remove Robertson Smith without condemning his views. To Rainy's dismay, when the motion was put before the Assembly of 1880 it lost by just seven votes because not all of the conservative ministers had voted! Instead a motion was passed that would give Robertson Smith little more than a slap on the wrist, retaining him in his chair and merely admonishing him for 'unwise conduct'. It seemed Rainy had miscalculated.
Robertson Smith came calmly to the moderator's chair to recieve his admonition. Speaking to the House afterwards, the professor said:
I have never been more sensible than on the present occasion of the blame that rests upon me for statements which have proved so incomplete that, even at the end of three years, the opinion of the house has been so divided upon them. I feel that, in the providence of God, this is a very weighty lesson to one so placed, as I am, in the position of a teacher, and I hope that by His grace I shall not fail to learn from it."
(Quoted In Black and Chrystal, William Robertson Smith P. 360)
There were cheers of approval, and even a victory party thrown for Robertson Smith. He had been right and Rainy had been wrong! It seemed that the power of Robert Rainy had been broken. The Free Church was on the side of the Higher Critics, and Rainy's caution had only hurt him.
But, if Robert Rainy could not destroy William Robertson Smith's career in the Free Church, Robertson Smith was his own worst enemy. His victory lasted exactly twenty-one days, for on the 8th of June the eleventh volume of the fateful Encyclopaedia Britannica appeared.
Why this was to spell the end for Robertson Smith we shall see, God willing, next time.
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